Type-writing machine.



A. TI BROWN.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) NOV.10,1909.

1,066,075, Patented July 1, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I 1511- S WITNE55E5= INVENTEIR.

H15 ATTORNEY FIGZ.

A. T. BROWN.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1909.

Patented July 1, 1913.

4 SHEBTSSHEBT 2.

INvENTUR,

QM43M HISATTURNEY A. T. BROWN.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.10, 1909.

1,066,075, Patented July 1, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WHTNEESEE: INVENTUR:

Hi5 ATTORNEY A. T. BROWN.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.10, 1909.

1,066,075, 7 I Patented July 1, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

IITE

WITNESSES, INV'ENT'UR:

7 JQMJM HISATTEIRNEY ALEXANDER r. BROWN, or SYRACUSE, New YORK.

. TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, PatentedJuly1,1913.

Application filed November 10, 1909. Serial No. 527,204.

To all who/nit may concern: I I

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER T. BROWN, citizen of the United States, and resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TypelVriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My. invention relates to typewriting machines and more particularly to the type bar systems and type actions for such machines.

My invention has for one of its objects to provide a type bar-system and a type action for a flat platen typewriter in which the type bars carry each only a single-type and in which there is a separate key for each character to be written. In other words, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a full keyboard flat platentypewriter. A

My invention also has for an object to improve the type actions of fiat platen type writers in certain respects.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved t pe bar system in which the type bars have ong pivots and in which provision is made for visibility of the.

writing.

Some of the features of the present invenw tion are applicable or ada table to other styles of typewritin'g mac ines than flat platen machines.

My invention consists in certain features of construction andcombinations andarrangements of parts, all of which will be fully set forth herein and particularly pointed out in the claims. I i In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view, partly in section and partly broken away, and with parts omitted and showing thetypobars and their actuating devices and some of theframework of the machine. Fig. 2 .is a fore and aft ver tical sectional view of the same, some of the parts being omitted. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the key leversl Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are a side view, a front view and a top view respectivelyof a pivot-block formin part of certain of the key levers. Fig. 7 is a top plan view showing the type bear- .ing hangers and some of the type bars, most of the latter being-in section, and the ring being removed from'the machine. In this "jview the observer is standing at-the front of (not shown) are mounted beneath the front the machine so that the top of the sheet shows the rear part of the ring. Fig. 8'is a front elevation of some of the rear typebars of thesystem of type bars, the type ring being shown in vertical section and the type bars in normal position. Fig. 9-is a view from the rear and showing some of the type bars at the front of the machine in elevation, the type ring being in. Section and the type bars in normal osition.

So much of the frame-work of the typewriter as is necessary to an under'standin of the relation of thetype action'thereto, is shown in my prior Patent No. 924,885, dated June 15th, 1909, that patent being directed to the carriage feed mechanism. The machine comprises a flat platen which is represented in Fig. 2 of the present case by the line 1. A frame is mounted above said platen for motion up and down the paper to impart line space movements to the printing carriage andsaid frame comprises among other things a front rail 2 and a rear rail 3. The printing mechanism is mounted in a carriage 4 shown inFigs. 1 and 2, which carriage is mounted on the front rail 2 by means of two rollers 5, one at the righthand and the other at the left-hand side of the carriage and said carriage is also mounted on the rear rail 3 by means of a single central roller 6 journaled on a stud projecting from the rear part of saldcarriage. An

arm or bracket 7 secured tothe framework of the carriage 4 lies beneath the rail 3 to prevent accidental displacementof the carriage from the rail and similar brackets rail 2.

As here shown, the framework of the Cal'- riage comprises a casting'or castings 8 of the general outlineindicated in Figs. 1 and 2, that is to say,.having riglitQhand and left-hand branches which curve around the tyfk basket, being joined" together at the rear of the machine, and itis in these cast ings that therollers 5 are journaled. Said castings arev connected together acrosstbe front of the machine by a-keyboard plate 10 which-is secured to the castings by screws or other suitable means. The types are mounted in;.a framewhich comprises a ring 11 encompassed by thelupperparts oft-he castin 8 to which said ring .is secured in-any suitable manner-as, for-example, by angled v front-of the machine.

pieces 12 (Fig. which are secured to the castings 8 and to the ring 11, by'- any suit "able means as by screws or rivets. The

rin 11 is of. circular formbut does not ma e-a complete circle, an arc ofthe circle being out out at the front of the machine to approximately the extent indicated bythe" two arms 13 which extend downward at an angle-asshown, being-joined across the front considerably belowthe circular'partof-th'e ring 11, by a straight section 14 from which 7 ear 15 is bent ofi' horizontally toward the The keyboard plate I v ismswa at its rearedge as indicated at 16, this being also for the purpose of affording Visibility of the writing. An arm or bracket 17 is secured to the extreme rearpart of the ring 11 from which "it depends and at its lower end it is bent ofi' into a horizontal portion or ear 18. It is to the bracket 17 thatthe guide bracket 7 is secured. The type ring as a wholeis' desig-' nated by ,the numeral 19, and said type ring is riveted or otherwise secured to the ears 15 and 18 so that this type ring is sup-. ported by the rigid frame-work of the printmgcarriage at a short distance above the platen 1. The type ring consists of two circular rings of sheetnietal 20 and 21, the former standing directly above the latter.

. Between the two plates'or rings-20 and 21 there are rigidly mounted a number of bearing pieces or hangers 22, each having the outline indicated in Fig. 7. Rivets 23 passing through the two rings and through these hangers secure the (rings and hangers to gether into one rigid piece. Each of the hangers 22 projects from between the rings 20. and 21 both within said rings and without said rings, and at its inner end each of said hangers has an ear bent up at 24 and one bent down at 25, and at its outer end each of saidhangers has an ear bent up at 26 and one bent down at 27 as will be understood by comparing Figs. 7 and 9. Each of the ears 24 and 25 is perforated at 28 to receive a pivot projecting from the axle of a type barl Each of the ears 26 and 2'7'has a threaded opening through which 'aipiv'ot screw 29 passes, said screw having its inner end received in a bearing opening in the end of a type bar axle. l

.Each of the type bars comprises an axle 30, a type carrying arm 31 and an operating arm 32, the type carrying arm being on the inner end of the axle and inside of the type ringand the operating arm being .on the outer end of the axle and outside of said rin Each of the ty )e bars hasits arm 31' ma e with a double end shown in Fig. 7- and at its free end each of said arms is bent at about a right angle to-the general plane 30 extend each or the arm, forminga section 33 in the end ot-which the type 34 is inserted. It will be. perceived that'the type bars, their hangers and the ring in which the type bars are mounted, resemble in a general way the corresponding parts of the bottomlstrike Smith Premier typewriter except that in this case the type bars strike downward --instead of upward and with certain other exceptions which will be pointed out. It will be understood that the axles 30 of the type bars are arranged tangentially to. an imaginary circle having its center" directly above'the printing point and that the general. direc-- tion ofthe arm 31' of eachofsaid type is at an obtuse angle with the axle-30., It

will beunderstmd that certain of the axles from one of the hanger cars 24 to one of the'hanger ears 26 above the rin 'l8 and that other of said axles extend eac from one of the cars 25 to oneof the cars 27 below the ring, the type bars that are mounted above the ring alternating with those that are mounted below the ring. In the Smith Premier typewriter referred to the type bars'are'arranged in a single cir: cular series so that as said typebars hang in the basket their type bearing ends form a complete circle, and all of the inclined arms 31 hang spirally in. a'sort of cylindrical'or 'frustoconical ring. 'In the pres .ent case, however, the type bars are divided into two sets, one at either side of the. middle'line drawn through the printing point fore and aft of the machine." The type bars ofeach set are segmentally arranged, and the type bars of each set have their inclined iarms 31 inclined toward the rear'ot the machine. At the rear of the type basket 7 these inclined arms are arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 8 which is a front view I of this part of thetype basket.

It .will beseenthat the type bars of the left-hand set at the extreme rear or outer endof said set have their arms 31 inclined toward the right and "that the corresponding type bars of the rigli-t hand set have their arms 31 inclined toward the left. As here shown, the extreijne'flend type bars ofjthe'two sets have .their'type bearing ends close together, but this brings the axles of these two type bars at'a considerable distance apart. As shown in Fig; 7 the axles of these rear type bars in the left-hand set have their right-hand ends inside the rin 19 and their left-hand ends, which carry t e operating arms 32, outside of said rings, whereas the rear type bars of s the right-hand set have the reverse arrangement, that is to say, their left-hand typebearing' ends are within the ring 19 and their right-hand ends carrymgthe operating arms 32, are outside of the ring. At the front or inner end-of each set of type bars, the outer ends of the axles 30, that is to say, the ends that extend to the outside of the ring 19 and that carry the operating arms 32, arearranged somewhat close together and the inner ends of-these axles are spread-atsome distanc'e ap'a'rt. Mor 'ver at the front the arms 31" of the righthand type bars incline ,toward the right and the arms 31 of theleft-hand ty-pe bars' in cline toward the left as appearsin which shows these forward type-bar's of two sets as seen from there'anoffQtheKmachine. It wi'll'be seen' that at the front of the machine there is a considerable space v or gap between the types 34 of. the right and left-handsets and this .facttaken' in connection with theflcu-tf-out' 16 of the keyboard =plate makes the printing point,

-marked with a capital 'X'i'n-Fig; 1, very plainlvisible to the operator. fIt'will be seen at this arrangement of type bars con-.

tributes very materialIy-to-the visibility of the-wilting. Said arrangement also has ad-' vantageefrom an operaiing point of'view.

. The operating arms. 3Z-at the front of the- I ring 19. extend nearly to the middle of the and asithere are keys in" the middle of "the keyboard-these arms can be readily connected with-said keys. on the'ot-her end at the rear thering'where the arms 32 are not'soeas lyconnected with key levers g \ha-vin'g. keys at the front of. th3macliine,

these operating arms- 82 do not-1 extend en tirely to the middle of the ring; but the rearmost one of each set is at .a considerable distanceQ-from the middle whe'reit is possible 954 to reach it with a-sim-ple keylever of the.

" first'order'. Someofthe advantages of this Itype ba-r arrangement-are applicable to other than-fiat platen type ritei's and t);

. other-than top strike typewriters. V

'The keys 35 and the connectio'ns for' operating the type bafs can be understoodofrom Figsjl" to inclusive. The keys are arranged in twelve rows extending from front toback of" the machine, the two outer rows fiat each sideof the machine having seven keys therein and the intermediate rows having each six keys. The keys" are mounted onkey'levers' of the firstord'e'r which are. pivoted beneath the keyboard plate 10. These key'levers are of three sorts, and they are arranged "groups, the key levers of each group carrying the keys of one of the foreand aft rows. The eight middle groups have each six key levers. 36' therein and all 31 0f these levers are of the general form seen [in side view in Fig. 3, but theydifier con-.

siderably in length as shown-in Fig. 1,. En order ;to avoid confusion the keylvers36" are not shown in Fig.2 but their positi'gn 9 9 with reference to the other'key levelsm be understood from Fig. 1 and-the' 'form of the ke lever can be understood, from Fig. 3. e next to the last row of keys oneesh side of the keyboard are mounted on 5% key levers 37 (Figs. 1 and 2) of a-somewhat different form from the key levers 36 and the extreme right and left-hand rows of keys are mounted on key levers 38 of still a third form, all of whichwill be ex- .plained in detail. I

Each of the key levers 36 and 37 is pivpted on'an individual hanger 40 which in- ;cludes a threaded pin 41 that extends up through the keyboardplate where it is secured :in place by anut 42. Each of these hangers at the under. sideof the keyboard is slotted to ,receive and guide the key lever whichkey lever is pivoted to the hanger by 2) passing through means of a pin 43 (Fig; -a hole/i4 (Fig. 3) in t e key l'evr. It will is such as to admit of their beingturned for the purpose of adjustment about. the pin 41 at centj'i; so as to give the proper in-- clination toltlie key lever. and it will be ob-' served in Fig. 1 that these key levers do not but that they extend ataslight angle or inseen that the pivots ofthe keylevers are arranged in inclined rows. This'a'rrangement enables me to operate k ,y levers of the first order by keys arrange in rows. extending directly fore and aft of the machine.

All of the key-levers QXtQlldjflO-Illlihtill several pivots toward the front of the machine. at the inclination above referred to, "and at their forward ends said key levers aie each formed' with an upwardly curved partorlarm 45,'said arm being madeon a curve having its center atthepivot point 44 of the type bar. Directly. beneath each of-the keys as. the, keyb0ard-- plate "is formed with a SIQnged'into a short slot 473mm arms 45 'play iii-the slots 47, which slots guide the hand ii'ection." At the top of each-of the arms 45" the key lever-is formed with a forwardl'y extending arm"48 bent into a circular outline to receive a; stud-like'projection from the bottom of each of the key buttons 35. The holes 46 in the, keyboard plate are of such-size that the rings or heads 48' can be passed up from below 'through said holes in assemblingthe machine and the buttons are insertgd ,in-said rings or heads after the key leter are in position. hen the key levers ar depressed, the rings 48 enter :the holes 46 to some extent. The key buttons 35 are preferablymade of some light, non-metallic composition, and each of them'ls formed with a stud on its under side fadaptedto be forced into one-of the rings 48. 'A little back of the branch or curve of each of the key levers, said lever has an arm 49 which when the lever is originally stamped out: of the. sheet metal extends downward but which is' subsequently bent upward as shown in Fig. 3, and a piece 15,? of

be perceived that the form "ofthese'ha'ngers extend directly fore'and aft of-the machine v clinationin that direction. It will'also be round opening which at its rear is, prov arms'a ainst deflection in a right and left;- Y

' The leather 50 acts as a sound deadening de- I The links 52 are shown provided with turn with one another,' all as will be understood vice or cushion.

The rear armv of each of the key levers has a pivot opening ,51 (Fig. 3) in which is pivoted the upper end of a link 52, the lower end of which is pivoted at 53 (Fig. 2) to the operating arm 32 of one of the type bars.

bhelilesfor the purpose of adjustment. It

will be understood'byreference to Fi 1 that each' of the key levers 36 of the eight middle grou'ps,"is made of a suitable length so'thatits forward end comes at the proper place in th eikeyboard andso that its rear end is suitable position to cooperate with the connected type bar; and the pivot points of the several keyv levers are arranged to give the proper levera e'on the type bars. It will also be seen at the various key levers are bent as viewed from above so as to bring the rear ends of said key levers approximately into the arc of a circle, the center of. which is above the printing point. The rear end of each of the ke levers is somewhat nearer to the center 0 this circle than the operating arms 320E the type bars so that the links 52 incline outward at the bottom, being arranged approximately in the frustum of a cone. having its apex above the printing point: These *key levers are also bent in such form as nottofinterfere by aninspection of Fig. 1. Thekey levers .do notpass abovethe ty e-basket, but extend to'the right and leftandsides thereof, so as not to interfere with the visibility of the writing. 1 I

It will be seen in F i 1 that'the extreme right-hand one of the icy levers 36 that is .shown in said figure, liesabove the extreme lefthand one of the key levers 3 7 of the next- -.to the last group of key levers, .-and it will.

also he Seen that the rear arms of the key levers 38 all lie above the rear arms of said key levers 3-7. In order to adinit of this'ar rangement said k levers 37 have the form shown in Fi 'inately' in a single plane' The levers 38 have to reach to the seven rearmosttype-bars andin order to accom-.'

plish this, these levers are made of a special Uust below the pivot of each of said key levers the lever has a down-- wardly I extending arm.54 and the rearwardly extending arm.55'sp'rings from the.

construction shown inFLigs. 2, 4, 5 and 6. Each of these levers is built up of three pieces, the middle one consisting of a pivot block 56 (Figs. 4, 5. and 6). blockconiprisesan arm that stands .nearly up and down or which stands about at right angles to the keyboard plate 10 and at its hese seven levers are all 'mount- This pivot I i 58. This gives a wide bearing for each of these key levers, which bearing is important because the pivots of these key levers are not directlyhin line betweep the key. at one end and the link 52.v at the other end. Each of the blocks 56 has at its upper part a flat surface 64 to which the forwardly extending arm of thecorres'ponding key lever is secured. and below this flat surface each of said blocks is formed with a beveled surface to the block in any suitable way as by'riveting or brazing. It will be seen that the forwardly extending arm is at a greater felevationv than the rearwardly extending arm of each of.thes e levers and it will be seen from F ig. 1 that the rear 'arms jof some of these levers have to pass underneath the forward arms of other of said levers. These several levers 38, 66am made of different lengths and are bent as shown in Fig.1 to bring them into suitable cotiperation -with their respective type'bars and toavoidinterference with one another. The arms 66 are also made of slightly different outline as seen from the 'sidezin order to avoid in-. 'terference.

A series of wires 67 extend toward. the front of the machine fromthe severalkev levers. In. the case of the key. levers '36 these wires are pivoted to depending arms 68 made for the purpose. In the ke evers X. 37 the wires 67 are pivoted to the eiitreme 65 to which the rearwardly extending arm 66 15 secured; These arms may be secured lowerends of th'earms 54; and in the cases of the key levers 38 each-of the pivot blocks 56 is prolonged downward and one'ofithe wires' 67 is pivoted thereto at 70. The

wires 67 all pass through holes in a bar or an'gle iron 72 which is secured at ends .to fianges 73 bent downward from the right and left-hand sides of the .keyboartfplate 10. Infront of the bar 72 each the wires 67 has a compression spring'74 coiled about it and compressed between said bar 72 and a nut/75 threaded onto the-end of the wire. These springs 74 are the returning springs of the key levers and 'theltefi sion of any onegof them can be regulated by adjusting the nut 75. I

Back of the bar 72"ea'ch of the wires67 is bent, to form a shoulder 76 which lies in front of a universal bar 77 which at its ends has arms 78 pivoted at 79' to the-flanges 73'. Th is universal bar operates the escapement as shown 'inmy .p'atentabove referred. to.

The type bars when in normal position restagainstaai pad '81 of suitable cushion-- ing material, hiehpad fis' mounted in a ring-like easing- 82 that fit-s. inside of the ring 11,,ivhi'gh ring"1 1 'c0nstitutes part of the frame-work ofthe carriage. The ring 82 maybe secured in place in any suitable manner, as for example, byforming it with a small flange and simply springing it into thering 11. i c

Various chan'gesean be made 'in the details of constructionand arrangement without departingfrom "my invention. \Vhat I claim as new and desire-to secure by Letters Patent, i s-:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combina't ion of a series of type bars comprising a right-hand segme-n a-lly arranged set and. a left-hand s'eg'mentxt' ly arranged set, said sets being curved about a common printing center, and each type bar comprising anaxle'and a type carrying arm substantially at one end of said axle and set atan obtuse;

c outer end of said set;;and key levers for.

angle with said axle, the type bars of-each set having, their type carrying arms at the ends of their respective axlesnearest the,

operating said type bars. Y V 2. In a, typewriting mac'hin eg t-hel' com-f binat-ion of'a series of type barsic oinprising a right-hand segmentally' arrangrdiftf and a left-hand segmentally arrahgedhs'eg'fsaid sets being curved about. a 'eonimonprinting center, and each typ e bar,1.Qm-prifsiifg an; axle and a type carrying'ar'lmsiibatail at one end of said axleandf'st t; v angle with said axle,-a'n d an dperaln&aflrr' substantially at the other-jend -r}f aigl-fagi1,if key levers pivot-ed between their connecting said key leversllwitfi ing arms, the operating, and bars of each set being-at th' respective axles nearest,,'the said set. V v y Y 3. In a typewriting machine the 'i tion of a platen, a series '0 ranged to strike dou'nwardfq a series of keys in fronto'f; 7 and a series of: key levers foi..

ing'an axle, a type-carrying a tially at one end of said axle'ii' itl ing arm substantially at the other on W v axle and those type bars nearpthe; water; the system having their operat i ri ii -ms of the system, whereby a gapis left between said type-carrying arms to afford visibility of the writing r.

ting machine, the combine-j- 4, In a typewri of type bars having their typecarrying arms nearest. the middle of the system and their the key levers for operatingsaidrear type barsextending to the right and left-hand said key bility of the writing.

' 5. In a typewritlng. machine, the combinat ion of a system of type bars-disposed in are operating said type bars, said key levers beof one group haying-e'aeh one arm "the eof an axle, a type-car'rying arm substantially .at one end of said axle and an operating ar m'j substantially at the other end ofsaid axle, those type barsnear the. rear of thesystem- 'droppeddown out of the plane oft he other bars and their type-carrying arms atitheends of the axles farthest fromthe middle' 4 tion of a platen, a'serieso f type barslarranged operating armsflat the ends of .the axles farthest from the middle of the system, and

sides of the'system. of-type bars whereby levers do not interfere with the vis'ishaped arrangement, keys: and key levers for ins divided into groups and the key levers arms of said key levers and the key levers dropped down-arms.

'6. In a typewriting tionof a platen, aser-ies oftype bars .arranged to strike downward on said platen,'a series of keys in front of said series ofjtype bars, and a series of key levers for operating said type bars, the key levers for the type .bars "near the rear of the system extending tem of type bars,-whereby said key leversdio hot-obstruct the visibility of the writing an saidkeyllevers that-reach farthest to the rear so asf toopernte the rearmost of the type being-made to cross one another, the

bars,;and a seriesfof keylevers of the first j'l ei er s having their pivots substantially in a single-plan'e and certain of said key levers having each an arm thereof set materially Qutnof said plane and certain other of the ey 'levers having arms that lie above or belevers Ior operating said type bars, a keyranged at the middle of the syet -ei n bf teammate, and a series of hangers dependmachi'ne, the eombina of another 'group'lying in part. above said to the'right and lefthand sides of said -sys k Tforwardly extendingarms of certain of said 7 "I keyfI vers lying above the rearwardly exj'tendiln'g arms of other'of said key levers, V

7. In a typeivriting machine, the combi- "nation o'f'a pla'ten, a series of type bars, a series of keys in front of said series'of typo ISO machine and sa'i'dhangers being arranged in. rows extending obliquely in a front and beekldirectionr 911m atygewriting machine,the combination of a serie'sof keys arranged in rows extending fore and aft of themachine, a.

series of key levers operated by said keys, and extending obliquely from the keys toward the rear of the m'aohine, pivots for "said key levers arranged in oblique rows,

e er v 10. Tina typewriting machine, the combination of a key lever built 11d of a pivoted and pri'ntingL-devices operated by said key block, an arm extending from said pivoted meek" toward the front r the machine, and

a second arm extending toward the rear of the machine from said block at an angle with the forwardly. extendin arm. 11. In a typewritin V nation of a key lever avin'kgi back, a piece of sound dea ening material claniped between the lever and said bent back branch, and apart against which said piece of sound deadening material strikes to arrest the key lever.

Signed at S racuse," in the county of Onondaga and tate of New York, this' 1th day of Hovember,- AgDi ,1909, v

ALEXANDER TI BROWN,- lVitnesses: I

Cum n ALL N, C.-E. .'l:o1s1 1.1NsoN;

machine, the combi a branchbent' Coyl'es of this patent mayfbe obtained for live cents each, by addre ssing the Commissioner of Patents. I

. .wasmn ton,-n. c." 

